Feed-water heater and purifier



(No M04181). 7

V. H. MGUONNELL. FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER.

Patnted Feb. 3, 1391;

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

VIRGIL H. MCCONNELL, OF 3UFFALO, NE\V YORK.

FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,933, dated February3, 1891. Application filed September 12, 1890. Serial No. 364,755. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VIRGIL H. MCCONNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Heaters andPurifiers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feed-water heaters and purifiers in which thewater is heated to a high temperature before it enters the boiler, so asto liberate the lime and other impurities from the water and facilitatethe precipitation of such impurities.

In order to avoid the deposit of sediment upon the boiler-fines and theformation of scale resulting from such deposits, it is necessary tointroduce the heated feed-water into the boiler below the flues, so thatany sediment remaining in the feed-water will not riseabove the tines,but will settle in the bottom of the boiler, where it may be. readilyblown 06 from time to time to prevent incrustations from forming at thispoint.

The object of my invention is to provide an efiicientpurifying andblow-off apparatus of simple construction, whereby the impurities areconfined in the bottom of the boiler, and which is especially applicableto locomotive-boilers, although the same is also adapted for otherboilers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation ofa locomotive provided with my improved feed-water heater and purifier.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in line :0 r, Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section in line y y, Fig. 1, onan enlarged scale. Fig. i is an enlarged view of a portion of thesectional delivery and blow-off pipe. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectionalelevation of the mud-ring, showing the blow-off pipe on an enlargedscale.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the boiler of the locomotive; a, the steam-dome; B, thewater-legs on opposite sides of the combustion-chamber; B, the1nud-ring, and G the tines.

D I) represent water heaters or chambers, preferably arrangedlongitudinally within the upper portion of the boiler in thesteam-space. Each of these heaters consists of a drum or cylinder closedat its ends.

E E represent spray-pipes arranged in the heating-chambers D D, and F isthe feed-water-supply pipe connected with the spraypipes E E, and whichis provided with the usual pumps or injectorsf. The spray-pipes E extendnearly from end. to endof the heating-chambers, and are provided withnumerous perforations through which the feed-Water is delivered into theheaters in jets or fine streams.

g is a steanrsupplypipe terminating with its open upper end in thesteam-space of the boiler, preferably in the dome, where the steam ishottest, and h h are branch pipes connecting the rear ends of theheating-chambers D with the supply-pipe g. In the steamsupply pipe 9 isarranged a cheek-valve 2', which allows the steam to enter theheatingchambers, but prevents the water in these chambers from passinginto the boiler through the steam-supply pipe. The feed-water enteringthe heating-chambers in a finely-divided state is thoroughly mixed withthe steam in the chamber, and in passing through the same is intenselyheated, whereby the lime and other impurities contained in the water areset free and precipitated.

J represents a delivery-pipe whereby the heated and partially-purifiedfeed-water is conducted from the heaters D into the lower portion of theboiler, preferably to the waterlegs or mud-ring, as shown. Thisdeliverypipe is connected with the heaters D D by a branch pipe j, andextends through one of the Water-legs, and is provided with a horizontalbranch 70, which is arranged transversely in the front portion of thewater-1egs, and is provided within the latter with slots or perforations7a, through which the heated water enters the water-legs. The perforateddelivery-pipe is preferably arranged at the foot of theforwardly-sloping mud-ring B, so that any sediment which settles in thewaterlegs will drain toward the perforated pipe and gather around thesame, as represented in Fig. 5. The perforated branch of thedelivcry-pipe is preferably flexible and composed of a number of jointedsections, which are provided at their adjacent ends on one side withears, through which pass pivot-pins, as shown in Fig. 4. Thisconstruction permits the pipe to be introduced into the water-leg fromthe top of the boiler and to be pushed under the inner wall of thewater-leg and across the bottom thereof.

The horizontal portion of thedelivery-pipe extends through the shell ofthe boiler, and is provided on the outer side of the boiler withablow-off cook or valve K for discharging impurities which ac umulate inthe heaters D and the water-legs or the bottom of the boiler. Theblow-off cock is operated from the cab by a hand-lever andconnecting-rod, as shown, or in any other suitable manner. The waterentering the heatingchambers comes in intimate contact with the steam,whereby its temperature is raised to a sutficient degree to release andprecipitate the earthy impurities. A part of these impurities settle inthe heating-chambers, while the residue is carried with the feed-waterto the mud-ring or the bottom of the Water-legs, where it isprecipitated, while the purified water mingles with the water in theboiler.

The horizontal branch of the delivery-pipe J may be provided with asingle exit-opening; but it is preferably perforated, because by thisconstruction the feed-water is caused to enter the boiler in numeroussmall streams which do not agitate or disturb the sediment collectedabout the pipe.

By delivering the feed-water into the lower portion of the boiler thesediment remains in the bottom of the boiler and does not rise anddiifuse itself and coat the flues and the shell of the boiler, as is thecase when the feed-water is discharged at or near the water-level.

When itis desired to blow off the accumulated impurities, the blow-offcock is opened. The steam-pressure upon the water in the heatersD forcesthe water and sediment from said chambers through the delivery-pipe andsediment, thus rendering the apparatus very simple in construction. Bythe use of my apparatus the feed water is purified and delivered intothe boiler in such a manner that no sediment reaches'the fines, and suchimpuri-o ties as enter the boiler settle in a place from which they maybe readily and thoroughly care on the partof the engineer.

Two heaters are shown in the drawings; but it is obvious that a singleheater may be employed, if desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of aclosed feed-water heater, a steam-supply pipe connected with saidheater, a spray device arranged in said heater and connected with thefeed-water pipe, whereby the feedwater is delivered into the heater infine streams, a feed-water-delivery pipe extending from said heater tothe lower portion of the boiler with its lower end terminating outsideof the boiler and provided near its lower end with a discharge-opening,whereby the feedwater is delivered into the lower portion of the boiler,and a blow-off valve closing the other end of said delivery-pipe outsideof the boiler, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of a feed-water heater arrangedin the boiler and communicating with the steam-space of the boiler,whereby the water in said heater is heated by the steam entering thesame, a spray device arranged in said heater, whereby the feed-water isdelivered into the heater in a finely-divided state, and a delivery-pipeconnected with said water-heater and terminating in the lower portion ofthe boiler, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with a steam-boiler, of a feed-water heater arranged inthe boiler and communicating with the steam-space of the boiler, wherebythe water in said heater is heated by the steam entering the same, aspray device arranged in said heater, where by the feed-water isdelivered into the heater in a finely-divided state, afeed-water-delivery pipe connected with said heater, extending throughthe lower portion of the boiler and provided within the boiler with adischarge-orifice for the feed-water, and a blowoff valve arranged insaid deliverypipe beyond said discharge-orifice and on the outside ofthe boiler, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a boiler having a water-leg provided withasloping bottom, of a water-heater arranged in the steam-space of theboiler and communicating with the steanrspaee, a spray-pipe arranged inthe heater, whereby the feed-water is delivered into the heaterin finestreams,a deliverypipe connected with said water-heater and providedwith a perforated horizontal branch arranged in the water-leg at thefoot of its inclined bottom and extending through the shell of theboiler, and a blow-off valve arranged in said branch outside of theboiler, substantially as set forth.

\Vitness my hand this 4th day of September, 1890.

VIRGIL H. MCCONNELL.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, FRED. O. GEYER.

IIC

